Vent plug



Feb. 18, l93 0. A JJMASTRONE VENT PLUG Filed July 1, 1927 Patented Feb.18, 1930 PA'rN'r FFICE' JOSEPH MASTBONE, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUTVENT rLU'o App1icationfiled July 1,

This invention relates to a vent for barrels or containers for liquids,and its chief object is to provide a simple and easily manipulatedsealing device for normally sealing the barrel or container to prevententrance of air and which may be easily opened either to relievepressure within the container or to admit air to permit drawing off ofthe liquid through a spigot or drawoff cock at the lower part of thebarrel or container.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a section of the wall of a barrelor container and a bung closing an opening therein, with my improvedsealing device in position and shown in side elevation, the seal beingclosed.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the device in closed or sealingposition, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view in the open position.

The wooden wall of the barrel is indicated at 5, and my improved sealingdevice is mounted in a hung 6 in an opening in this Wall, although ifpreferred the device may be mounted directly. in the wall of the barrelor 30 container. This vent device comprises a metal body 7 threaded onits outer wall at 8,

preferably with a left hand thread, and it is also preferred that thiswall be tapered somewhat so that as it is threaded into the wall 5 orbung it will have a tight fit therewith. The upper portion of this bodyis preferably noncircular, for example, hexagonal as indicated at 9, sothat it may be manipulated by a suitable wrench. This body has alongitudinal passage 10 extending therethrough which is threaded for aportion of its length as indicated at 11, this passage being preferablysomewhat enlarged above these threads as indicated at 12.

Cooperating with this body is a plugmember 13. This member has a bodyportion 1 1- threaded to fit the internal threads 11 of the body, and atits outer end this plug has a knurled or other suitably shaped head. 15The head 15 and the body 14 are connected 1927.. Serial No. 202,914.

at 12, between the outer wall of this neck and the inner wall of thebody. Mounted on the under side of the head is a packing 17 such as afibre, rubber, or other suitable washer, and this packing is arranged toseat on and be clamped against the end 18 of the body member, whichforms a seat for this packing. The plug member is also provided with avent passage 19 leading from the inner end of this plugand passingthrough a side wall thereof below the packing 17, preferably somewherebetween this packing and the threaded body portion 18, and therefore, itleads into the space formed by the enlargement 12. It is preferred topern'ianently mount a pin 20 in the side wall of the body 7 to projectintovthe enlargement 12 and form a stop in the path of movement of theshoulder 21, sothat after once being assembled the plug cannot beremoved from the body member in normal operation.

In operation the barrel or container can be easily and quickly sealed bymerely turning the head 15 to screw the plug member inwardly and clampthe packing 17 against the seat 18 at the outer end of the body member,3

as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. If it is desired torelieve pressure withinthe container or to admit air to permit drawing oif of liquid from thecontainer through a spigot or drawoff cock from the lower part of thecontainer, all that is necessary is to rotate this head in the oppositedirection thus moving the plug member outwardly to the position shown inFig. 1. As the packing 17 is secured to the plugmember it is moved awayfrom the end "18 ofthe body, thus providing a communication from theenlargement 12 to the outer atmosphere and permitting either relief ofpressure through the vent passage 19, or when drawing liquid to permitair toenter through this passage. If thethreads are left hand threads,the act of unscrewing the plug member will have no tendency to loosenthe body member in the wall of'the container.

It is especially to be noted that this device lea is extremely simple inconstruction, in effect being composed of only two metal elements, thebody 7 and the plug member 13. It will also be noted the machiningoperations required are reduced to a minimum, these being the threads onthe body member and the plug member. It is, however, preferred to finishthe end 18 of the body member forming a seat for the packing to give abetter fit although this is not necessary as a tight fit can be securedwith an unfinished surface, especially if it is fairly smooth.Therefore, this device can be manufactured at a very low cost, and asthe seat 18 is at the outer end of the body any finishing operation onit would be a very simple one, and furthermore, this constructionlocates this seat and the packing associated therewith outside the plugand container where they are readily accessible for inspection at alltimes without disconnecting or disassembling any elements.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, What I claim is:

1. A vent plug including a one piece body threaded for connection to abarrel wall or bung and having a longitudinal passage therethroughthreaded for a portion of its length, a plug having head and bodyportions connected by a reduced neck, the body portion being of a largerdiameter than said neck and threaded to fit the internal threads of thesaid body and the head being outside the body and overhanging the outerend thereof, said reduced neck providing a clearance space under thehead between the plug and the body opening through theouter end of thebody, and a packing mounted on the under side of the head to engage theouter end of the body, said plug having a vent passage leading from itsinner end and through theside of the neck between the head and bodyportions.

2. A vent plug including a body threaded for connection to a barrel wallor bung and having a longitudinal opening therethrough threaded for aportion of its length, a plug having head and body portions connected bya reduced neck forming a shoulder on the adjacent end of the bodyportion, the body porti on being threaded to fit the internal threads ofthe said body and the head being outside the body, a packing mounted onthe under side of the head and adapted to be clamped by the head againstthe outer end of the body to seal the passage through the body, a stopextending inwardly from the inner wall of said passage outwardly of theshoulder and forming a stop to cooperate with this shouler to limitoutward movement of the plug,

and said plug being provided with a vent passage leading from its innerend' through "the side Wall of the neck.

-' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH MASTRONE.

